Bladder pain or Interstitial Cystitis OUCH!!

Posted September 15, 2012 by Trudy Triumph

I always and I mean always look at my urine EVERY time I pee..since I frequently feel bladder pain I do not give it much thought. BUT if I see cloudy urine I will always take a sample in for testing. There is a tightness I feel when a bladder infection comes on but sometimes they hit me by suprise.

Looking at my urine now reminds me of when my husband and I were stationed in Germany. The toilets there were so interesting. I think they were lost on me during my pee freely years, but let me explain. German toilets had a shelf that caught the ummmmm….. and then with the flush of water, all was sent down the drain. It gave the curious mind an real chance to inspect the daily goods. What I could do with that toilet now!

Bladder pain or interstitial cystitis is something I just live with. I am not sure why. Sometimes, even when my urine is clear I feel discomfort. Perhaps it is just because I know here my bladder is. I have a heightened sensitivity. I go on with my day but I am aware of the sensation in my bladder. I think in the beginning I might have used a catheter too much to pee because I miss took my bladder pain for my lost urge to urinate. I know my bladder is a hollow, muscular, balloon-shaped organ that stores urine until I ready to pee. My bladder expands until it's full and then signals my brain that it's time to urinate, by communicating through the pelvic nerves. This used to make me want to pee. Now I just get a major stomach ache if I wait too long.

I try to time the intervals of my urination. It is about every 3 hours. If I feel discomfort I just try to push through thinking to myself that my bladder could use a healthy stretch now and then. It is common for people with bladder pain to want to urinate more frequently.

Some causes of bladder pain could be a defect in the protective lining (epithelium) of my bladder or a leak in the epithelium, for example, may allow toxic substances in urine to irritate my bladder wall. Not all bladder pain is slight. Some pain is your body telling you something is wrong.